New DC just one of the needs for Illinois program

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Oct. 3—CHAMPAIGN — No need to panic, Illinois fans. Not just yet.

Sure, your favorite team is coming off a blowout loss at Ohio State and just had its in-over-his-head defensive coordinator Bobby Hauck walk away. Jump before you got pushed is how that might have gone down.

A new defensive coordinator will be unveiled Saturday at the Illinois-Purdue game (3:15 p.m., BTN). Perhaps bring him onto the Gies Memorial Stadium turf in a puff of smoke and go all David Copperfield with the announcement.

Frankly, no matter who takes over, the defense can't perform much worse. It ranks 16th in the Big Ten in both scoring and total defense. And in the 100s nationally. Numbers that need to be hidden from recruits and potential transfers.

The numbers the program wants front and center are 10 and nine. Those are the win totals the past two seasons, leading to the off-repeated phrase "most wins in a two-year period in program history."

Sure, that's a selling point.

Or is it? In those same two years, Indiana, 170 miles to the east, won 27 games, made two College Football Playoff appearances and won the school's first national title.

Before 2024, by any reasonable measure, the history and traditions of the Illinois football team far surpassed those at Indiana. But not now. Indiana hung a banner and also owns a Heisman Trophy. Ask an unbiased football fan which program is better and 9 of 10 will go with the Hoosiers.

Work to do

The 19 wins in two seasons seemed to indicate Illinois football was moving in the right direction. And that is still the case. Attendance is up the last two years with sellouts becoming routine.

But the bottom-line goal for Illinois should be two items: contend for the Big Ten title and a earn a spot in the CFP. Reaching a bowl is no longer the benchmark. And at the moment with eight challenging games left to play, Illinois isn't a lock for the postseason.

We do know that the CFP is out unless Illinois wins its final eight games. It will be an underdog against Oregon, Iowa and UCLA. Games against Nebraska and Northwestern are toss-ups.

The only three games where Illinois will be favored are Saturday against Purdue (Illini are a 10 1/2-point pick), at Michigan State on Oct. 10 and at Maryland Oct. 31. Keep a watchful eye on the Terrapins as Mike Locksley fights to save his job. What's the old saying about a cornered turtle being dangerous? Or something like that.

A little help

Now, time to write a section Bielema will appreciate (not that he ever reads articles about his team).

The Illinois football team has all it needs from a facility standpoint: beautiful stadium with all the amenities, the world's largest scoreboard, a modern workout area, training table, a player-inducing locker room.

From an infrastructure standpoint, Illinois is in its best shape ever. Competitive with the top programs in the country.

Ahh, if only scoreboards and locker rooms and training tables determined who wins and who loses.

Well, they don't. Players and coaches do. And this is where Bielema is fighting an uphill battle.

He doesn't have the resources to fill needs on the defensive line, offensive line and in the secondary. Bielema's kicker, who won the Music City Bowl, got pilfered away by Texas A&M. David Olano is 5 for 5 on field goals for the Aggies.

Bielema doesn't need an Ohio State- or Oregon-sized player budget. But he can't be reduced to shopping at the dollar store, either.

Don't expect help from Congress or for the other schools to suddenly decide to play by the same rules. If you want to compete at the highest level — and Illinois seems to want to do that —then the coach needs a bigger wallet.

I realize some of this makes traditionalists uneasy. Totally get it.

But the bottle has been uncorked. College sports are not going backward.

I, personally, enjoy most of it. And have no trouble with a talented athlete being paid for his exceptional skills.

Yes, the quarterback or point guard was born with ability. But then went to work, practiced, studied, learned, improved. Hours upon hours upon hours. No matter what the figure, that money has been earned by years of unseen effort.

Don't we pay the best musicians, the best actors, the best scientists, the best engineers for their talents?

Same thing.

You've got to spend money to make money … and the playoffs.

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